3/9/2024 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Still a bit disjointed and needs several hours of decant prior to consuming. Would wait another 4-5 years on the next one

12/9/2023 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

In a perfect place and I would drink up

10/10/2023 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine:

15.5% abv. Medium ruby, very aromatic. Raspberry, white pepper, black cherry ... excellent depth, balance and length. Really delicious now and should continue to develop in the bottle for several years to come. Excellent Hayne.

5/26/2023 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine:

If you do not like long TN's with stories, skip this one because first I have to set the context. I have been buying Carlisle since the 2004 vintage. I used to buy 4 cases with each order, but I have slowed down a bit. I have probably owned well over 500 bottles. Adding those that were bought by others and brought to various dinners over the years, I have probably drunk over 300 bottles. Mike Officer would argue that I do not drink them fast enough, but what does he know. He just makes them.

My favorite has always been Montafi Ranch. Even as my purchases have slowed down as I approach the other side of my own drinking curve, I was sure to buy those. I once wrote, after drinking a wine blind, "This is a great Zin. My guess is not mountain fruit. The only Zin I have had that was this good in Carlisle Montafi Ranch." It was a 2011 Montafi Ranch.

My wife told my son that she wanted wine with dinner, but he forgot to get a bottle until about 6:30. He rushed downstairs and randomly pulled this to decant it before our nightly war with Jeopardy. I am reducing wine consumption, so I poured myself a large glass but did not finish it with dinner. I brought the remaining 2 ounces upstairs as I worked on my computer. At about 11:30 pm, I decided to finish it.

OMG. This wine is incredible after 5 hours of air. There is a fruit explosion of raspberries and blackberries with spice and garrigue, with sagebrush (we just got back from Santa Fe) and rosemary. BUT that was not the most notable component. The aromatics and palate included the unmistakable sweet aroma and flavors of a top of the line XO Cognac. I once commented that I noticed that same in a much higher priced bottle of 2006 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Aquilon (saved from Alzheimers by Cellartracker again) and Brian Loring suggested that it was caused by American oak used by some Spanish wineries. Maybe, maybe not, but I have been in the Carlisle barrel room and I saw lots of Tarransaud by no American oak. AND this was sweeter and headier (in a non-alcoholic sense) than the Aquilon. Everting was woven together into an exceptional taste experience.

It takes me a lot to give a wine more than 95 points. I have written over 1250 tasting notes and scores over 95 points represent only 3.5% of the total, and include the likes of 1875 Madeira, Pichler Unendlicht (if you've never had that, get a bottle and give it 2 hours of air), 1970 Monfortino, 1994 Fonseca, 1997 Q do Noval Nacional, 1955 Graham's, a few SQNs and Aubert whites, and 1962 Delas Freres Hermitage. That's pretty good company for a wine that I suspect cost me less than $30.

Congratulations to Mike Officer and his team.

3/13/2023 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Full throttle cab with hint of bacon fat on the finish. Does this have some syrah in it? Great bang for the buck.

2/10/2023 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine:

Reasonable minds can differ on wine, as in many things, but I have to say that I find some of the reviews here puzzling. This is my second bottle of this wine and whilst it has settled beautifully since I last opened one in May 2022, it hasn't changed that much as to its fundamental characters.

Unsurprisingly, Jeff Leve has absolutely nailed this wine in his write up.

I am mystified by the notes that say this wine was locked up, or lacked complexity, or was all about oak. One might not like the style, or the characters of the wine - all fair enough- but let's at least get the basics right.

Unless you are drinking this during a blizzard in Alaska through a pipet tube, it is not locked up. Unless you are drinking this whilst you blow torch a new oak hogshead, licking the wine off the newly charred oak, you will know that the wine is vinified in stainless steel and then aged in big, old oak barrels - chaps, there ain't no oak! As to lacking in complexity, the note is almost its own prosecution.

Look, I have such a pedestrian palate that unless a friend of mine confirms my views I live in terrible doubt, so I don't actually want to be too tough on the reviews above; 'Let he who is without a flawed palate cast the first cork'.

You can argue about the alcohol, although at 15.5% my take is that this wine has so much power and body that it just gulps up the alcohol.

As to complexity, if you only get primary fruit, I am at a loss. There is iron, blood, a lovely accent of leaf and tobacco and definite pepper and spice. Chaps, none of that is primary fruit.

Locked up? I am writing this within an hour of opening, no decant.

I am very much a Grenache doubter and my stiffy lies north of CdP, but this is a wine that could damned near threaten all that. I also find myself thinking 'is this not just another GSM (Grenache Shiraz Mouvedre) but at about 10 times the price of the local Oz product?' The problem is that the answer is this wine is to the enjoyable, whoring GSM what a night with a syphilitic common prostitute is to a night with Josephine Beauharnais. It just isn't in the same galaxy.

The thing with this wine is that even at 15.5% ABV it is surprisingly fresh and the tannins could be a review in their own right. Forget the fruit, drink for the sublime tannins - smokey and bitter but also sweet and like Pu-erh Tea you just end up falling into them and diving deeper.

This is a huge sweating charger, all of 18 hands and if you are such a timid thing that you can't grip the pommel and swing a leg into it, then I guess you deserve to be trampled underfoot. But the beast is beautifully trained and even an average rider can see how gorgeous the coat is, how nimble is its step, despite size and bulk and thrill to feel the power of the beast as it moves. Or are you dead to sensation?

1/15/2023 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Still quite tannic. Surprised me as I expected this to be much more approachable at the 11 year mark. Needs an extended decant

11/11/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Just a wonderful wine with good fruit and nice balance. Long finish.

5/15/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Opened the night before and resealed. Absolutely stunning the next day.

9/5/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Some wines are so rich and complete that they drink like a meal. This is one of those.

7/23/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Nice nose and medium body. Some forest floor initially but flavors faded over 2-3 hours. Not a big wine and I would favor near turn drinking without much of a decant.

1/31/2022 - cubswinws wrote:

Nice blend but lacks the depth to make it more interesting. I'm not sure what it is but I generally find cabernet + rhone blends just don't seem to blend well together.

12/9/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Drank from magnum and just delicious.

11/20/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Soft and exceptionally smooth. Nice acidity and spice on the finish. Drank along side the Grenache. I thought the 2013 Grenache was slightly more interesting.

10/1/2021 - cubswinws wrote:

Still rich and vibrant. Really paired amazing with shrimp paella. Still one bottle to go😊

7/1/2021 - kitkat4 Does not like this wine:

I had one bottle in the cellar and thought to try it after reading the previous comments. I don't think my bottle was flawed but it wasn't very good either. Dusty medium-high tannins combined with an odd fruit flavor. After reading such positive professional ratings I expected more from this wine. Perhaps it is already well past it's prime.

Fruit flavor is difficult to describe. More red fruit than dark which didn't mesh well with the tannins. After being open for an hour or two, the fruit fell off and was mostly left with tannins. I ended up pouring the bottle down the drain. So many good opportunities for good wine I don't have the patience for this.

5/13/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Just a great example of ChnP and a great vintage. This wine is singing now.

4/19/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Always one of the best Carlisle's and this is no exception

4/18/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Drank from magnum. Nice wine and enjoyed by all but still missing a bit on the finish.

4/10/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Just perfect. Drinking incredibly well now and probably at its peak. Still fresh and nice herbes and mushroom notes.

3/14/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Just perfect

2/18/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

This wine always delvers. Just exceptionally well made with fine tannis and finish a mile long. Glad I have one more bottle as this should last for years to come.

2/5/2021 - Keith Levenberg wrote:

I have very good news for anybody who really likes this kind of thing. You can buy Ch. La Vieille Cure from Fronsac and get basically the same wine for twenty-five bucks. I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this - I was of course aware it was a TWA darling back in the day, but I can probably count the number of Washington State wines I've had on one hand. Right off the bat, I find myself kind of impressed how Bordeaux-like and NOT California-like it is, complete with the gravely, lead-pencil notes - intensely concentrated fruit to be sure but not far beyond the parameters of many a fine Bordeaux from a rich vintage, and for the most part without the CA-like sucrosity. Well, at least at first. Within about 15 minutes it becomes absolutely dominated by caramelly, brown-sugary oak, really not far off Mollydooker levels, and you can practically visualize the machinery in here that was keeping the fruit sweetness within normal parameters powered by some monkey on a bicycle that's now pedaling furiously trying to keep the whole thing from snapping and it doesn't quite snap, exactly, but it's more like when something goes wrong in your car and you have a few days of, "huh, something smells kinda funny" before you realize you actually have to bring it in to the mechanic and then once you finally bring it in he's just kind of in shock asking you half in pity and half in contempt of your blithe ignorance, "And you were driving it like this for how long?"

1/2/2021 - cubswinws wrote:

Big and pure. Improved over the course of 3-4 hours. Too young for sure but incredible upside. Try again in 8-10 years

12/20/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Drinking quite well at present.

12/15/2020 - cubswinws wrote:

Disappointing showing for this particular bottle. Must of been off

11/11/2020 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:

I'm surprised there isn't more buzz going around about this project. I guess if you're in California and you want anyone to pay attention to you, you need tacky packaging and a waiting list. No such tacky packaging here as the minimalist label could pass for one of the store products in Repo Man. But this wine deserves more attention since we're talking about one of the great CA vineyards with a decades-long track record for producing ageable cabernets of real distinction, and the winemaker here is Diana Snowden Seysses, who oughta know a thing or two about making wine. This has very pure blackberry/black cherry fruit on both nose and palate and whatever oak it received is fully absorbed; with air it reveals some rusty red earth that's very Santa Cruz. But the real draw here is the figure and texture. Cabernet is rarely this svelte (sometimes the Comtesse can pull it off), and the tannins are pure silk. It's put together in that perfectly tailored manner like a suit you can tell from a glance is custom-fitted and not merely a fancy brand off the rack. And the fabric is light enough to wear in summer.

10/18/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours. Dark fruit with some early signs of maturity. Smoke and cassis, touch of fig and blueberry. Good minerality. Very enjoyable

10/5/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Crisp and precise with touch of citrus and nice clean finish. Still with good verve though age has allowed the wine to mellow a bit. Perfect!

8/27/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Delightful wine that paired perfectly with shrimp stir-fry.

7/18/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Very nice mature Cabernet.

3/30/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

This has really come around and is just firing on all cylinders. Drank with the Willow Creek Cuvee and this is more complex and smokier.

4/22/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Just a fantastic GSM blend. Everything in balance and a long-long finish.

10/23/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Rounded in to a nice zin based blend. Tannins have mellowed and softened since my last bottle

9/4/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

More black fruited full of spice and great finish.

3/17/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Big and juicy with lots of spicy goodness. Even with a two hour decant, the wine got better and better as the night went on.

5/4/2019 - Indywinefan wrote:

I really like Shafer wines, but I was not a fan of this wine. I preferred their merlot to the new TD-9.

9/6/2018 - cubswinws wrote:

Medium weight and nothing on the backside. Not sure this will put on some weight so I'm withholding judgement for now.

9/3/2018 - cubswinws Does not like this wine:

undrinkable.

11/22/2017 - cubswinws wrote:

Effervesant and not at all pleasurable.

11/14/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Still on the young side with some heat and big fruity finish. Would wait a year or two on the next one.

7/1/2017 - cubswinws wrote:

Opened and was astringent and not pleasant. Will try again on day two.
Tried again on day two. Not much there and not up to the usual standards for Ridge. Hopefully just in a dumb phase.

11/8/2016 - cubswinws wrote:

Surprisingly thin for a Paso wine. Fruit is pleasant just no depth. The label will likely attract buyers.

11/1/2016 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Exceptional way to watch the Cubs

5/20/2016 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Exceptional and moved from a great wine to amazing on Day 2.

4/10/2016 - cubswinws Does not like this wine:

Like water with a hint of grape flavoring. Don't let the lovely label fool you!

3/8/2016 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Ruby red with good fruit and touch of earthyness. Really enjoyable and great for 10 year old gamay.

12/19/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Really nice wine. Nice smoke and minerals. Certainly get that it is the little brother to its bigger/more expensive sibling. A lot of pleasure or the price.

8/16/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine:

PnP, drinks well immediately, the nose is a tad muted but still gives up dark fruit, sweet kirsch liquor and tar. Good length, but is a bit thin, one of the weakest Pegau's I've ever had, however it's still very good and enjoyable.

8/15/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine:

Excellent Super Tuscan with dark fruit, nice spice, and lovely floral nose. Nice long finish.